Preparation

Heat 2 Tbs. of the olive oil in a 4- to 5-qt. Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until quite shrunken, golden brown, and crisp (the oil will also be golden brown), about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and with a slotted spoon or strainer carefully transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off and discard all but 2 Tbs. of the fat from the pan.

Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the chopped cabbage. Cook the cabbage, stirring occasionally, until limp and browned around the edges, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat again and transfer the cabbage to another plate.

Put the pot back over medium heat and add 2 Tbs. more of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and the vegetables are browned around the edges and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the last 1 Tbs. of olive oil, the garlic, 1 Tbs. of the fresh rosemary, and the ground coriander and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, stir together, and cook the mixture 2 to 3 more minutes.

Return the cabbage to the pan and add the chicken broth. Stir well, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes to infuse the broth with the flavor of the vegetables. Add the beans, bring back to a simmer, and cook for a minute or two. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the remaining 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, and let rest a few minutes.

Taste the soup and add lemon juice to brighten it—you’ll want at least 1 tsp. Season with more salt if necessary and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Serve the soup hot, garnished with the reserved pancetta crisps, the toasted breadcrumbs, and the grated Parmigiano.

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Reviews

This soup was quite delicious, especially with the pancetta and cheese garnish. However, I did change it up a bit. I used 8 cups of regular cabbage and 4 cups of chicken broth. I added 1 teaspoon of lemon, and a couple of splashes of Fire Cider Vinegar to give it some heat. A dash of Italian seasoning seemed to be called for. I added fresh parsley with the additional fresh rosemary at the end.

I made exactly as written. The rosemary contributes a lot to the deliciousness of this soup, as do the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Perfect for a blustery winter's night, and canned tomatoes and beans make it fairly quick to put together. I did use homemade chicken stock, which probably helped.

Good, not great. Followed recipe with 2 small changes - I used the liquid from the tomatoes (about 1C)to make part of the 7C of broth and I did not brown the pancetta in oil - pancetta is plenty fatty on its own. Those changes surely did not negatively affect the outcome.The recipe is quite time consuming (I always forget how time consuming FC recipes are).The soup was quite good, but seemed to lack a certain depth of flavor - not sure why since it has plenty of ingredients to impart savory flavor. Cabbage flavor seemed quite pronounced - will probably do a finer chop on it if I make it again. I don't mind the time it takes - I like chopping, but if I am going to invest the time, I want a stellar result. So many tasty savory winter soups out there that I may just keep looking for a perfect one.